Democracy Timeline

John Locke

John Locke was an English philosopher who published a book about natural rights held by every human being. His ideas about natural rights helped to form the way we think about individual rights today.

-510 BCE

Ancient Greece

The Greeks established the Assembly, a body of citizens that made decisions and voted in issues that affected everyone. All citizens could participate. Decisions made in the Assembly had to be approved by another group of citizens called the Council. By participation in government, all these citizens were giving their permission, or consent, for the government to operate.

1215

Magna Carta

The English wrote the Magna Carta and included a very important section: The king was no longer allowed to do whatever he wanted. Instead, the king had to follow the "law of the land" when dealing with his subjects. It waste of the first formal documents that Madde a king subject to the law. The Magna Carta set the stage for the idea that even governments should be accountable to the law.

1628

Petition of Right

A petition sent by the English Parliament to King Charles the first complaining of a series of branches of law. The petition sought recognition of four principles: no taxation without the consent of Parliament, no imprisonment without cause, no quartering of soldiers on subject, and no martial law in peacetime.

1680

Iroquois

Before colonization, the Iroquois were semisedentary agriculturists who palisaded their villages in time of need.

Dec 16, 1689

English Bill of Rights

The English Bill of Rights is an act that the Parliament of England. The bill creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and bolsters freedom of speech.

1696

Montesquieu

In the final books of L'Esprit des lois, added at the last last moment and imperfectly at the last moment assimilated to the rest, he addressed himself to the history of law, seeking to explain the division of France into the two zones pf written and customary law, and made his contributions to the much discussed controversy about the origin of the French aristocracy.

1776

Thomas Paine

England born political philosopher and writer Thomas Paine (1737-1809) helped shape many of the ideas that marked by the Age of Revolution. Published in 1776, his highly popular "Common Sense" was the first pamphlet to advocate American independence.

Period:

2,200 BCE

to

-130 BCE

Ancient Greece

Period:

-500 BCE

to

-476 BCE

Ancient Roman Empire

By 150 CE, the Roman Empire was at its height and stretched almost 2.5 million square miles! Rome was originally ruled by kings, but eventually it changed into a form of democracy. It was not a true representative democracy, because not all of its important officials were elected. However, citizens were allowed to vote for some of their representatives, and if these representatives did not please the people, they could be voted out and replaced.